Video: Crush Injuries

VIDEO: CRUSH INJURIES

severe crush injury

Other than an active arterial bleed, the most life-threatening of traumatic injuries in a natural disaster might be the crush injury. In the case of crush injuries, bleeding presents as severe bruising or an accumulation of blood known as a “hematoma”. Swelling and tissue death make treating the crush injury complex and problematic. This is partially due to a condition known as “compartment syndrome” may occur. When the muscles and tissues are deprived of blood for too long after a crush injury, there is a chance that nerves will become damaged and muscle tissue may not survive the trauma. Compartment syndrome can occur in any part of the body that is crushed and trapped between two objects for too long.

Hematoma under a crushed nail

The dilemma is that in any serious crush injury, toxins from damaged/dying tissues may flood the body after the crushing object is removed, leading to everything from irregular heartbeats to kidney failure. Find out more about crush injuries in Dr. Joe Alton’s video below:

This video is a companion to Dr. Alton’s recent article on the same subject.